The Story of Vasco - Review (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

The Story of Vasco - Review

2:49pm Tuesday 7th April 2009

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The Story of Vasco, Orange Tree Theatre

Squawking crows, soldiers disguised as trees and a pack of stuffed dogs - these are just some of the absurdist touches to Adam Barnard’s fairytale rendering of Ted Hughes’ long-lost play, The Story of Vasco, currently running at the Orange Tree Theatre.

The late-Poet Laureate wrote his version of the play, originally written by the little-known French dramatist Georges Schehade, in 1965. Nine years later sections of it were used as the basis of a libretto for an opera that was staged at Sadler’s Wells. The Orange Tree production is the first time Hughes’ version has ever been aired in its entirety - and as always, when a long-lost play is revived, the question is begged, is it all worth it?

My answer would be “yes”, despite some reservations.

Set in an unspecified time and place, The Story of Vasco is an examination of the futility of war and in this respect it cannot fail to resonate with a modern audience, particularly as Hughes’verse gets the message across pointedly with a mix of absurdist humour (a General’s skull is made from “a Bavarian pie dish”) and horrific battlefield images (men “burst like bombs”).

Barnard’s production finely balances these contrasting elements and the small cast strain every sinew to bring this grim fairytale about a naive barber sent headlong into a raging war to life. At times the capering goes over the top and why cuts were not made to help speed things along is beyond me - but these problems notwithstanding, The Story of Vasco offers plenty to keep both Hughes scholars and curious theatregoers entertained.

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